The Impact of New NRC PART 20 Regulations

Abstract

Objective: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has instituted new regulations, effective January 1, 1994 as an outgrowth of publications 26 (1977) and 30 (1979) of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). The objective is to determine how to apply these regulations to a routine nuclear medicine department.

Methods: Since these new 10 CFR Part 20 regulations apply to all radiation workers (medical, nuclear power, etc.), it was necessary to delineate those regulations that would uniquely apply to nuclear medicine occupational workers.

Results: Modification of existing procedures were evaluated and changed to correlate with the new regulations. Data collection is suggested to prove compliance.

Conclusion: The changes required to satisfy the new regulations are reasonably easy to implement. Allowances for the use of realistic values, rather than past pessimistic assumptions, has made these new regulatory limits, which appear to be more stringent, actually easier for compliance.